Let's Make a Deal
by Maniacle
Summary: Once upon a time there was a demon who damned a man to purgatory. 19 years later his son came to save him, and his most interesting deal was made. No one ever read the small writing. USUK.
1. What is The Story of Alfred Jones?

Chapter 0.

What is the Story of Alfred Jones?

"Are you Arthur?"

A set of lips pulled in a smirk, from behind the small black book between his slender fingers. "I am," came the immediate answer. The British accent coating the words smoothly. Unnaturally green eyes looked up from the small black book, along with a pleasant smile.

The man in front of him was a tall guy with freckles and blonde hair. His eyes were shifty, although a pretty blue, and he looked nervous as he took a seat next to Arthur.

"Are you a demon?"

The smile turned just a little wicked. The short man was sitting with his legs crossed on the bench, and he slowly closed the book between his hands. "I am." He said once more.

The sunshine was bathing down on the two men in the especially beautiful day in the city park. The trees had just sparked emerald leaves, and children were throwing a ball to a boisterous golden retriever nearby. Two women were jogging past them, chatting cheerfully. It was quite a lovely day.

Arthur enjoyed visiting the human world. Not only because he was a people-person, and he loved making deals. Humans were so simple, and would easily sell their souls for happiness. There were really some interesting people out there though. Which is why Arthur loved his job. Sure, there was plenty of people driven by greet and lust, who only made the deal for selfish reasons. Who wanted money, power and love interests.

But _once_ in a while, there was that special person, who would come to him with an interesting deal to make.

The man in front of him didn't look like his usual type. This one was wearing a suit, and his blonde hair was nicely combed, with the exception of one strand in disarray.

"I want-"

"One thing at the time, chap. We can't forget our manners," Arthur said with the wicked smile never leaving his lips, lifting one finger. The man flinched and Arthur continued. "What's your name?"

"Harold Jones," he answered with a little bit of hesitance in his voice.

"Marvelous, my name is Arthur," he told him, and opened his book on an empty page and scribbled down the name with a neat handwriting.

Harold Jones looked down at it nervously. Even if it was just his name on a piece of paper, it seemed alerting when Arthur was the one writing it.

He had been taught about Arthur through a friend who had just gotten a huge company started. Coincidently he had also gotten a beautiful girlfriend and his body had gotten ripped, in the course of only a week.

He hadn't believed it at first, but still he couldn't ignore the series of events. It just hadn't been normal.

Besides… he was desperate.

Arthur looked back up at him. "Are you aware of how the deals work?" he questioned him. Harold hesitated, before he slowly shook his head. If it was possible Arthur's lips spread even wider, and the blonde man felt chills down his spine.

"I will explain the basics to you then," he told him and uncrossed his legs, before crossing them opposite from before. "I will give you your every wish, as long as it is something humanly obtainable. Which means no, mind-reading, flying, healing powers, eyes that can see through the ladies changing room…" Harold made a face, and Arthur chuckles. "…yes, that absurd request have been suggested one time. Waste of a perfectly good contract if you ask me. This rule, of course, doesn't limit your wishes for athletic physic, you can still become a good athlete if that is what you want."

"Actually… I know exactly what I want."

"Well, of course. This is just standard procedure for new clients like yourself," he assured him. Harold nodded in understanding, before he sighed and bend his head over. He was really desperate. So desperate that he was even asking a guy in the park to help him. The guy was probably just crazy, and his friend was just lucky, and Harold was just delusional and hopeful.

"You don't look like a demon," he said after a moment, rubbing his neck.

Arthur tilted his head. "How _does_ a demon look?"

"I don't know…" he mumbled, but Arthur just kept looking at him, waiting for elaborating. His eyes flickered, and he furrowed his eyebrow as he pondered. "Um… like… they have horns, and a tail… and a long face," he said, illustrating down his own face.

Arthur let out a huff of air in amusement. "Sorry, I prefer this form over the… long face." He did have horn though, when he was in his original form.

Harold felt a little embarrassed, and shifted on the bench. "R-right, but then, how do I know you are a demon?"

"I thought you knew someone who was a costumer of mine," Arthur stated simply, and leaned back a little on the bench. This lad seemed to have a lot of questions. "If you don't believe me, you can simply leave."

"No… I…"

Arthur lifted an impressive eyebrow, and Harold tried to find out something to say for a moment. He bit his lip and looked away. Arthur could see the wheels spin and secretly bathed in the insecurity.

"I… do want your help."

Arthur smiled brightly. "Splendid. But first, we most regard the payment of your contract."

"Payment?"

"Of course, you didn't think a life of happiness would be given for free, did you?" he asked him. Harold was still unnerved by the broad smile that had never left his face.

Harold didn't know what he had expected. "I…"

"I will explain it to you," he said and intertwined his fingers in his lap. "Are you familiar with purgatory?"

"Purgatory? Like… eternal punishment by fire?" he asked him hesitantly, clenching and unclenching his hand.

"Yes. If you chose to make this deal, we will negotiate how many years of purgatory you will be given. The minimum is 50 years."

"50… _years_?" he repeated, and stared at him like he was crazy.

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "Now. Do you still want to go through with your deal?"

"I- I- I don't know…" he began, and furrowed his eyebrows. "I mean, I want it to work, but if this is fake, it's a really bad joke."

"Well… the punishment is bad whether or not you make the deal," Arthur reasoned.

"What?"

"I mean, if there is something you want so dearly that you are making a deal with a demon," he gestured to himself. "Won't it be just as horrible to live the rest of your life without it?"

Harold stared at him, and swallowed. "My wife can't have kids."

It was sudden. But the demon welcomed it with a smile, his face twisting to imitate curiosity. This was not the usual wish. "Go on."

"She want's it so badly… she hasn't been the same since she got the diagnosis," he explained, his face pained. "Please, I just want you to let us have children. To let us… be happy again. That's all I want."

"Do you want her to go through birth?"

"I- Yes… she really wants that."

"One or two children."

"_Twins_!" he said quickly, and Arthur tilted his head with a smirk. Harold blinked a few times, and looked away. "She wants… twins. That's all she ever talked about when she didn't know about her case. She wanted to identical twin boys. She wants to name them Alfred and Matthew."

"And you are willing to sell your soul to get this?"

Harold looked up at him, his eyes filled with a determination that fascinated Arthur greatly.

"Yes."

Arthur's eyes turned a little darker, and the clouds started to gather above them, shadowing their surroundings just a tad. His wicked smile was still in place, as he opened the book again. Harold looked around a little flustered. All the people who had wandered around cheerfully before had disappeared.

The whole park was now a red hue, and when he looked back he almost jumped a little as he saw Arthur's green eyes shine even greener.

The page where he had written Harold's name at the top had suddenly been filled with writing below, stating his wish and it's consequences. He looked down at it, and took a deep breath. 72 years in purgatory.

"I thought you said 50."

"No, I said that was the minimum," he clarified, and handed him his pen. "Please sign the line. An X will do."

Harold hesitated. Arthur simply watched him patiently. He knew he was going to sign. Everybody always did in the end. Humans are so simple-minded in that sense.

And in the end he did. Slowly he put the pen to the paper, making a smear of ink, before he wrote his name in cursive writing.

Arthur smiled at him and took back the pen when he was done. "Jolly. Now go home to your wife, and make love. She will get pregnant, with two twins boys in jiff. I always keep my word."

And Arthur did keep his word. After nine months Harold and Amelia Jones had a set of healthy twin boys, one was named Matthew and the other was named Alfred.

19 years passed uneventfully, before Alfred Jones appeared in his park, but it was a day that he would never forget again.

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><p>Please leave a review, it would mean the world, thank you for reading. :)<p> 


	2. The Source of All My Problems Begin

**Thank you for all the great feedback you guys. :D You really inspired me to upload quite fast, so here you go, after only 12 hours. :3 **

**We will now get some Alfred into the story. **

**Thanks you: TheHiddenCard, ValeurStories, AcelMonDay, hexa, TheFictionDreamer, elizabeta H. Austria and Vaelliance for reviewing. :D  
><strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 1.<span>

Meet The Source of All My Problems

"Are you Arthur?"

The way the question was given sounded oddly familiar. Thousands upon thousands of people had asked him that question, but for some reason this one sounded distinct. Another odd thing was that he wasn't expecting anyone this evening. Today he had been sitting on his bench with a copy of _Hamlet,_ instead of his small black book.

Arthur was what you call a 'Contracter' of hell. His main task was to provide purgatory with souls, that demons could feed on, until the soul _had_ to be allowed their peace, aka when their contract had run out. He was a businessman and the outer appearance of Purgatory. He loved his job, and he took great pride in it. The humans got to live happily for a while, and the demons would afterwards get to feed and not raise a hell on earth. In many ways he saw his job as a noble course, that just had to run smoothly.

Balance was the key, and he was the one measuring the weight. At least he was in charge of the souls in this area of America, since he had just been reassigned from England. Such a pity, he had liked it there, and never really abandoned the accent. Besides that mere fact though, he was excellent at adapting.

Which is why he very rarely was taken by surprise. So when an unannounced person spoke to him, he looked up with confusion, instead of his usual broad grin.

"Yes?" he answered.

The guy in front of him was tall, with broad shoulders and blonde hair. He was wearing a brown bomber jacket, and a set of black glasses settled on the brick of his nose. On top of his head was one strand in disarray. _That_ strand, along with his face, was what gave it away. Arthur's eyes twisted in recognition.

The guy shifted his weight, and seemed to straighten a little. "My name is-"

"-Alfred Jones," Arthur ended with his grin slowly starting to spread again, then he tilted it a bit. "Or is it Matthew?"

Arthur's interruption seemed to break the guy's mental preparation and he cleared his throat. "I'm, eh, Alfred." He said quickly.

Arthur's smile widened. "Hello Alfred, my name is Arthur," he said politely, feeling like a proper introduction was in need, and put his book onto his lap. Arthur never forgot a deal. Harold Jones's deal, 19 years ago was no exception. He as the one who had wanted twin boys. Alfred and Matthew. Alfred visibly shuddered by his smile, but tried to play it off by rubbing his neck.

"Are you a-"

"-Demon?"

"Wow!" he said and lifted both hands. "Are you like reading my mind? That is a bit creepy."

Arthur chuckled. "No. No, you merely remind me of your father," he told him and patted the bench beside him. "Take a seat, and tell me why you're here."

Normally he would have been irritated to get his afternoon ruined, but this was interesting. He had never thought he would actually meet Alfred or Matthew. Creations of one of his deals.

Alfred eyed the bench suspiciously, before he took a seat next to Arthur. "This is kind of weird."

"Why is that?" Arthur asked him curiously.

"I… I didn't think you were real," he admitted, and turned his body around to grab a notebook from his inner pocket. Arthur looked at him with questioning eyes, and his smile settling down to something more sane looking. Alfred held up the notebook in front of Arthur. "Listen. If you are real-" Arthur lifted an eyebrow. "I want you to break my father's contract. This is his journal, and it said everything. If… if he is damned to purgatory I want to save him. He wrote here that he talked to you, and made a deal for my mother to be pregnant. He writes that it is his biggest wish to escape this fear. It was his dying wish."

Arthur felt a wave of disappointment, and audibly sighed. And here he had thought an interesting deal was going to happen from one of his own creations. Well, you can't be all lucky he supposed.

"The contracts are unbreakable," he told him simply, and grabbed his book, and put it under his arm.

"Hey, hold on," the teen began, when he noticed the dismissing act. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I want to negotiate this with you."

Arthur stood up from the bench, turning toward him with a smile. "Your father died in a car crash two weeks ago, didn't he?" he asked him. Alfred seemed taken aback, and his eyes hardened a little.

"How did you know that?"

"I know the day of passing of all my victims," he explained. Alfred licked his lips, clearly trying not to let the frustration get to him. Arthur continued, putting a hand over his chest. "I understand your frustration, but I am merely the salesman, I can't drag your father out of his 72 years of purgatory, even if I wanted to," he closed his eyes in a friendly smile. "And besides, I don't really want to."

Arthur pivoted on his heel and started walking off. As soon as he was turned away from Alfred he let the smile drop, and rolled his eyes. The cheerful façade he put on for his clients were really hard to maintain when they were being delusional.

"Wait!"

_Oh, please no. _

He could hear Alfred's footsteps starting to catch up to him. "Is he really 72 years in purgatory?"

_Do I stutter? _Arthur put on a fake smile again. "Yes," he answered. Now he really just wanted to have his day off. Alfred didn't even have a deal in mind, just mindless begging, which Arthur always tried to avoid in his clients.

Alfred was quiet just a second, before he spoke again. "How is purgatory?"

"It's very hot, or so I have been told."

That's when Alfred ran ahead and blocked his path. He lifted his hands to stop him, but he seemed to be afraid of touching him, which gave Arthur a bit of amusement in all the irritation. "Please, _listen_."

Arthur halted to a stop, looking at him with an awaiting expression.

"My father was a good man."

"Yes, a very selfless man, with good intentions for you and your brother, and especially his wife," he agreed. Alfred nodded, almost like an excited puppy that was offered a treat.

"Right! Right! So, you will help me?"

"...But rules are rules, I'm sorry, chap."

And now it was a _kicked_ puppy. He lifted a finger. "One exception. Please. I have to save him. Now that I know he is not at peace. I will do anything. I can't just know that he is in pain down in some pit."

Arthur shook his head simply. He had gotten enough of this already. Alfred took a step back in shock when he noticed Arthur's green eyes glow a little. Dark smoke started to rise up around him, and with a smirk he disappeared right in front of him. "There is nothing to do."

Leaving the American stunned and alone on the empty path.

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><p>Arthur had thought that his simple little act had been enough to scare off the lad. But to his irritation it turned out that his problems with Alfred Jones hadn't even peaked yet.<p>

The day after the confrontation he was meeting a young girl by his bench. She had tentatively taken a seat beside him, her petite form looking very small on the bench. "Excuse me," she had whispered, and he had immediately flashed her a smile, that startled her a bit, and she fiddled with her short hair.

"Hallo darling, my name is Arthur, who might you be?" he asked her, and held his hand out toward her. She hesitantly put her own in his.

"M-my name is Lily."

Oh yes. One of his demons had told him that this girl would show up. She was an easy victim who had been struggling for a long time. He would be able to give her a lot of years, since there was so much innocence to be gathered from her soul.

He placed a gentle kiss on her hand. "It's so nice to meet you. Tell me Lily, do you have something that you really want?"

Lily nodded her head hesitantly. "Yes… that's why I came here… I spoke with another demon who told me where to find you."

"Splendid, now do you know how a contact works, my dear?" he asked her. He had a few servants out in the city to stir up his business. The petite girl retreated her hand, and held it to her chest.

"No… I don't know exactly…"

"Well, then let me explain-"

"**Hold on**!" came a boisterous voice beside them, and Arthur looked to the side in clear confusion, and a small squeak sounded from the girl beside him. It settled to irritation from Arthur's side when he saw whom the voice belonged to. He. _Could_ not. Be. Serious.

Standing with both hands on his hips like some older brother who had caught younger siblings in steeling cookies from a jar, Alfred Jones stared at Arthur with determination in his gaze. Arthur's own eyes were half-lidded, with a vein almost popping on the side of his face, although his expression didn't show it. Alfred had clearly decided that begging for his father was not going to work, and had decided that a direct confrontation would be the key.

Lily was sitting paralyzed, looking like a deer in headlights.

"Alfred…" the demon said with a strained smile. "I'm sorry, but I really don't have time."

"I can't let this continue!" he said, way too loudly. Arthur looked around at a few people who side-glanced toward them. "I am going to stop you!"

_What am I? A super-villian in Gotham city? _Arthur stared at him. His face no longer neutral, but on the contrary it was darkening to a threatening demeanor. If they had been alone he would have not been so stirred by Alfred's behavior, but he had an important client by his side.

A client that could provide purgatory with many many years.

"Excuse me?"

Alfred looked over at Lily, and crossed his arms. "You will spend a lifetime in pain if you do this…" she flinched a little when he addressed her. "Believe me, it's _not_ worth it. You should _fight_ for what you want, and not just let some demon do it for you. You are strong enough."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes measuring him like a frightened child. "But…"

"No but!" he said, and she bit her lip.

Arthur's eyes were starting to glow a little. "Alfred…" he began in a daring voice.

"Go now! Before you do something you will regret!"

"Alfred!"

She clenched her eyes shut in pain, and then nodded quickly, before she sprinted off. Arthur looked at her with widened eyes in shock, before he stared them back at Alfred.

"What. Have. You. _Done_!" At the last word the sky seemed to stir up in clouds. They rotated in the sky in a spinning circle. A red hue spread out over the park. Every person who had been staring had disappeared, and faint thunder rumbled from the distance.

Alfred's eyes widened in brief panic as Arthur sprouted wings, and charged toward him. He was grabbed by the neck and slammed into an oaken tree, making the crimson red leaves flutter down around them. Alfred sucked in a strained breath by the pressure on his neck.

"How _dare_ you," Arthur hissed out between clenched teeth. Black horns showing from his head, and his hair a shade of red in the light. Alfred merely stared at him in shock, blinking his eyes a few times to comprehend everything that had just happened. Arthur continued. "There is an _order_. The natural order. The demons need their souls. Do you even know what you have done?"

Alfred took a heavy breath, and then he did something that completely baffled Arthur. An almost sly smile started to spread on his lips. In a strained voice he choked out. "Am I… messing up your business?"

The demon stared at him, before he pressed his lips together. Alfred's smile faded into a more serious one. "I won't let my father rot in purgatory, I will keep coming here, until … until you let him go."

"You are a bloody fool," Arthur hissed out. "I already told you that it is _impossible_."

"Demons lie."

Arthur grit his teeth. "I will kill you if you ruin my business one more time."

"I thought you were just a salesman…" Alfred choked out, as Arthur put more pressure on his neck. "I… I will definitely… _definitely_ get him out."

Arthur seemed to consider the thought of killing him greatly, but in the end he just hissed out a breath. He had no authority to kill people, he was a Contractor. In the end Alfred was right, even though he had probably just taken a long shot and hoped that Arthur wouldn't snap his neck.

Besides, some small part of him saw Alfred as his own creation. He was the one that made his existence possible, which made him a part of a contract… and he never broke a contract. He could never rob a client of what they had gotten, even when they were dead.

For a moment longer Arthur stood still, glaring at the other with blazing green eyes. Then his hold loosened.

In the matter of a second the world turned back to normal. People reappeared, although they had moved around, and the sky looked clear and blue like before. Alfred immediately grabbed around his neck as he got his full air-supply back. He choked on a few breaths, and then straightened up with a hesitant look.

Arthur was back to his human form, although he still looked angry.

"I will let you live this once, if you stay away from my park."

Alfred shook his head. "No. You are going to save my father, Arthur."

"Ah!" he exclaimed and threw his hands in the air. "Alfred…" he walked up close again. "There is _no_ way to save him. He made a _deal_. He signed an unbreakable contract. He is _gone_."

Alfred shook his head. "No."

Arthur scoffed and before Alfred knew it, the blonde-haired brit was once again dissolved in a cloud of smoke. Alfred's blue eyes watched the ground until it was all gone, before he turned to leave himself.

But he would be back tomorrow.

Alfred's attempt to appeal to Arthur had failed, his confrontation had failed. He only had one more plan left, and he didn't like it one bit.

He would make a deal with the demon.

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><p><strong>Please tell me your thoughts of the story so far. Next chapter will finally reveal the deal that Alfred will make with Arthur. Thanks for reading. :D<strong>


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